Ashtray for cigarettes or cigars



ASHTRAY FOR GIGARETTES'OR CIGARs Filed oct. 8. 1958' `1bn/MHCK' I BY Easdgy/z ZLSCj ARNEY.

Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES,-

ASHTRAY FOR. CIGARETTES R CIGARS Rosalyn Litschgi, St. Louis, Mo.

; Application October 8,

Claims.

'I'his invention relates generally to the art of smokers articles, and, more particularly to a cigarette, or cigar ash tray.

Among the undesirable properties of the gen- 5 erally'employed ashtray, are that they lack a sanitary means for a lighted cigarette or cigar to rest upon, by allowing the accumulation of ashes and moisture on the cigarette or cigar rests, and, it is an object of my present invention to overcome such undesirable features.

An object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and highly eiiicient ash-tray, whereby cigarettes or cigars can be conveniently supported, when not being smoked, in such fashion as to avoid the cigarette paper or cigar wrapper from becoming moistened while at rest.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an ash tray provided with cigarette or cigar rests, which are sanitary in that ashes cannot lodge thereon.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an ash tray having one or more cigarette or cigar supports, and each support being so formed and arranged within a receptacle as 'to cause a cigarette or cigar to bridge, in an inclined position, a plurality of posts constituting a support therefor.

The novelty and advantageous features of my ash tray will be evident from a consideration of the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and illustrating the embodiment of the present invention, and in which similar parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan viewr of an ash tray embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of one-half of the -ash tray taken on a line through one set of cigarette or cigar rests.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of one-half of the ashtray, taken on aline through the ash receptacle in advance of one set of cigarette or 193s, serial No. 233,953 (ci.l 131-240) thereof, comprises an open top bowl-shaped body, or receptacle designated, generally, as A, and which is provided, within the same, with a plurality of cigarettevor cigar supports or rests, each consisting of a plurality of spaced posts I, 2 and 3, disposed above and'adjacent floor ridges or ribs 4, and between the wall 5 of the receptacle and a post 6, which post is shown in the presentI embodiment of the invention as located within the receptacle and centrally thereof.v

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the body or receptacle A is shown as circular in form. The wall 5 is shown as having concaved-convexed inner and outer wall surfaces, although these surfaces can be straight, if so desired, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The receptacle can be of any desiredV diameter and depth, and it can be made from any desirable material, although the device is illustrated as formed f rom glass, and, as a unitary article.

' The base or floor 1 of the receptacle is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, in one embodiment thereof, as formed to provide a plurality of inclined ridge or rib sections 4, each-having a pair of inclined or concaved upper side faces 8, which faces merge to form a ridge line 9 at their upper edges, and, which merge with the upper face of the base or iioor 'I ofthe receptacle A at their lower edges. i

The interior receptacle space or valley I0 between each ridge or rib section 4 serves as spaced deposit areas Within the receptacle to hold ashes and cigarette or cigar stubs.

The floor ridges or ribs 4 are suitably inclined and lead downwardly into the receptacle from near thetop of the inner face of the receptacle wall 5. The highest or. outer end of each ridge or rib 4 is'disposed a suitable distance below upper edges of the wall 5, and, the inner end of each ridge or rib 4 merges with the central post 6, which post 6 projects upwardly and terminates at its upper end in a plane with the upper edge of the wall 5.

The post 6 is provided with a plurality of concaved wall surfaces II which merge to form a plurality of perpendicular straight edges I2, which edges are in alignment with the ridge line or edges of the iioor ribs 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The posts I, 2 and 3 together with the upper edge of the wall 5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, serve to form supports for cigarettes or cigars to rest upon while not being smoked.

The posts I, 2 and 3 straddle the upwardly projecting ribs 4, and, the posts I, 2 and 3 are suitably spaced from each other and from the wall and post 6 to form air gaps or spaces I3 therebetween and above the ridges or ribs 4. The ribs 4 are formed integral with the iloor of the receptacle A, and, they are arranged in spaced circular fashion and in concentric relation to each other.

The post-like cigarette or cigar rests I, 2 and 3 are shown in the present embodiment of the invention as of different widths and of different heights fromthe floor of thereceptacle A, although they can all be of the same width, if so desired. As illustrated, the post like rests I are wider than posts 2, and posts 2 are wider Athan posts 3.

Each post like rest preferably projects upwardly the same distance above the ridge line of the ribs 4. Each post I, 2 and 3 has its outer and inner faces at the upper end thereof beveled, as at I4, to form a ridge line seat I5, which ridge line seat is suitably concaved to prevent cigarettes or cigars resting thereon from rolling off of either side thereof and falling into the ash and stub spaces below.

The concaved ridge line seats of the posts I, 2 and 3 lie in an inclined plane with the upper edge of the wall 5 and they are all of the same distance above the ridge line edge of the iioor ribs 4. The upper ends of the posts I, 2 and 3 being beveled on opposite sides, it will be apparent that cigarette ashes cannot become lodged thereon, as with the present types of cigarette or cigar rests, and that they cannot become moistened while cigarettes or cigars are resting thereon, thus providing sanitary rests for cigarettes and cigars to rest upon when not being smoked.

It will oe apparent from Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, that when a full length cigarette or cigar is placed to rest on the posts I, 2 and 3, and the upper edge of the wall 5, that the cigarette or cigar designated B will lie in an inclined position with the upper ends of the posts I, 2 and 3 merely in point contact with the cigarette or cigar, and with the lighted end of the cigarette or cigar merely in point contact with one of the line edges of the post 6, which serves as an abutment for the lighted end of the cigarette and that by such contacts of the several posts with cigarette or cigar, smothering of the lighted end of the cigarette or cigar is impossible, and, also that sweating of the cigarette or cigar wrappers is impossible as there is full air circulation completely around the same due to the fact that the cigarettes or cigars are supported in distinct elevated positions a sufficient distance away from the floor ribs, or the oor proper, if the iioor ribs are not employed, as desired.

When a cigarette or cigar is not full length, as after having been smoked for a while, the same can rest on all three of the post like rests I, 2 and 3, and if shorter than that, it can rest on the upper edge of the wall 5 and the rest I, on rests I and 2, or upon rests 2 and 3.

No matter how a cigarette or cigar is placed on the rests forming the supports, and no matter how long or how short the cigarette may be, it can always be readily removed by taking a hold of the same with the fingers between any pair of post like rests, or post I and the wall 5, as there is suflcient space or gap between the posts I, 2 and 3 and post I and the wall 5, as the cigarette or cigar is elevated sufliciently above the ridges of the ribs 4 so that the ribs do not interarea-isa terev with handling of the cigarette or cigar or interfere with air circulation around the same.

It will be apparent that ashes falling from the lighted end of a cigarette or cigar. will fall by gravity to the upper concaved surfaces of the ribsv posts I, 2 and 3.

In a modified form of post like rest I, I have shown in Fig. 6, that the upper surface thereof is convexed, as at I6, instead of concaved, thus, in case a cigarette burns too short, the tendency of the cigarette will be to roll oil of the rest, when also supported' by the upper edge of the wall 5, and fall into the receptacle to one side or the other of the underlying rib 4.

While I have shown but one arrangement of rests I, 2 and 3 in the present embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that the particular arrangement of posts I, 2 and 3 can be modified to change the design of the article without affecting the results attained by the present design. For instance, there may be only one, two or three cigarette or cigar supports, as a whole, instead of four, as illustrated, and, if desired, the ribs 4 can be eliminated altogether.

It is believed that the many advantages of an ashtray constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that minor changes in the design and details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted t0 which fairly fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

l. An ashtray comprising a unitary bowl shaped receptacle, said bowl including a side wall, a plurality of spaced upright posts on the floor of the receptacle, said posts being spaced from each other and from the wall with the wall serving as an outer post, the posts being of such heights relative to the height of the wall and to each other as to form an inclined rest adapted to support a cigarette or cigar, bridging the same, and a rib having a sloping wall connecting the posts and disposed below the upper edges of the posts.

2. An ashtray comprising a unitary bowl shaped receptacle, said bowl including a side wall, a plurality of upright posts, said posts being spaced from each other and from the wall with the wall serving as an outer post, the posts being of such heights relative to the height of the wall and to each other as to form inclined rests adapted to support a cigarette or cigar, bridging the same, an additional post spaced from the innermost of the said posts and having a vertical line edge against which the lighted end of a cigarette can rest and a rib having a sloping upper surface extending from the wall to the said additional post below the upper edges of said posts.

3. An ashtray comprising a bowl shaped receptacle, a plurality of posts within the receptacle, said posts being spaced from each other and from the wall of the receptacle, the posts being of such heights relative to the height of the wall and to each other as to form rests adapted to support a cigarette or cigar, bridging the same, in an inclined position, an additional post spaced from the innermost of the said posts against which the lighted end of a cigarette rests, and an inverted V-shaped rib formed of the floor material of the receptacle and extending from the said additional post to the wall of the receptacle below the said plurality of posts and with the ridge of the rib disposed below the upper edges of said posts and the upper edge of the wall of the receptacle.

4. An ashtray comprising a unitary bowl shaped receptacle including a plurality of posts within the receptacle and spaced from each other at both ends, said posts being spaced from each .other and from the wall of the receptacle, an

abutment spaced from the innermost post having a line edge against which a cigarette can rest, and a rib having a sloping upper surface below said posts.

5. An ashtray comprising a receptacle having a wall, a plurality of spaced posts having beveled concaved upper edges disposed within the receptacle, said posts being of various heights from the floor of the receptacle and disposed below the upper edge of the wall of the receptacle and adapted to support a cigarette or cigar on the beveled edges thereof in an inclined position, and an abutment having a line edge against which the lighted end of a cigarette or cigar can rest.

6. An ashtray comprising a bowl shaped receptacle, a post within the receptacle, a plurality of cigarette or cigar rests disposed within the receptacle, said rests being spaced from each other and from the wall of the receptacle and the post therein, and said posts being of such heights relative to the height of the wall of the receptacle and to each other as to support a cigarette or cigar, bridging the same, in an inclined position, and an inclined ridge having sloping sides below the upper ends of the rests free from contact with a cigarette or cigar.

'7, An ashtray and rest for lighted cigarettes or cigars comprising a receptacle, a post within the receptacle' so fashioned as toprovide a plurality of perpendicular edges against which the lighted ends of cigarettes or cigars can rest without smothering the lighted end thereof, the upper end of the post being of a height equal to the height of the wall of the receptacle, there being a plurality of concentrically arranged posts within the receptacle, the posts being of different heights below the height of the Wall of the receptacle, the upper ends of the posts being beveled to provide ridges for cigarettes and cigars to rest upon, and said ridges being concaved.

8. A device of the class described comprising a bowl shaped body, an upright post within the body having a longitudinally uted peripheral face to provide perpendicular abutment ridges, said post projecting upwardly with its upper face in a plane with the upper edge of the wall of the receptacle, a plurality of spaced circularlyand concentrically arranged post like rests within the receptacle to form a plurality of cigarette or cigar supports cooperating with the upper edge of the Wall of the receptacle and the said upright post, said circularly and concentrically arranged posts' being of 'diierent heights below the height of the wall of the receptacle to hold a cigarette or cigar at rest in inclined position.

9. A device of the class described comprisinga `bowl shaped body, an upright post within the body having a longitudinally fluted peripheral face to provide perpendicular abutment ridges, said post projecting upwardly with its upper face in a plane with the upper edge of the wall of the receptacle, a plurality of spaced circularly and concentrically arranged post like rests within the receptacle to form a plurality of cigarette or cigar supports cooperating with the upper edge of the wall of the receptacle and the said upright post, said circularly and concentrically arranged posts being of different heights below the height of the wall of the .receptacle to hold a cigarette or cigar at rest in inclined position, there being inverted V-shaped ribs formed from the bottom material of the receptacle below the upper ends of the posts, and the upper edges of the circularly and concentrically arranged posts being beveled and concaved.

10. In combination with a bowl like receptacle, a plurality of spaced upright post like members disposed within the receptacle and integral with the floor thereof, an abutment spaced from the innermost post having a line edge against which a cigarette can rest, and a iloor rib connecting the posts with the abutment and providing a sloping surface below the upper edges -of the posts.

ROSALYN LITSCHGI. 

